The present invention relates to a paper feeding apparatus for automatically feeding paper sheets to a paper sheet processing machine, which comprises a paper-supply roller and a movable plate opposed to the paper-supply roller, carrying thereon a plurality of paper sheets in a pile and urging the paper sheets toward the paper-supply roller, whereby the paper sheets placed on the movable plate is pressed against the paper-supply roller so that the paper-supply roller delivers the paper sheets one after another.
In a conventional paper feeding apparatus of this type, the movable plate is attached to the frame of the apparatus so as to move toward or away from the paper-supply roller rotatably supported by the frame. The movable plate is formed as an integral structure which moves relative to the frame. Also, the movable plate is urged to move toward the paper-supply roller by urging means.
In the prior art paper feeding apparatus of this construction, if the movable plate suffers torsion or any other deformation, the contact pressure of the paper-supply roller on the paper sheets placed on the movable plate will be unevenly distributed. This will possibly cause the paper sheets to be fed to the paper sheet processing machine to skew and hence trouble in the machine.